World Cup 1966: A ToffeeWeb Podcast

Four Members of EFCHS in conversation about the World Cup of 1966 at Goodison (Lyndon Lloyd (hosting) / Rob Sawyer / Paul McParlan / Mike Royden

As the leading club ground in the country at the time, Goodison Park was selected to stage five matches at the 1966 World Cup and was originally intended to be the stage for England’s semi-final against Portugal.

If you’ve ever wondered what it must have been like to attend those games at the Grand Old Lady and witness greats like Pele, Eusebio, Garrincha and an unexpected star of the tournament in the form of North Korea’s Pak Doo-ik, then you’ll love this wonderful conversation with long-time and valued ToffeeWeb contributor, Rob Sawyer, and two other members of the Everton FC Heritage Society, Paul McParlan and Mike Royden who attended those matches as wide-eyed boys.

Rob provides an introduction to the Society, and the work it does to promote and preserve our club’s rich history, and finishes with some tributes to some treasured members of the Everton family who we have very recently lost. (click below)

Reading

World Cup 1966 at Goodison Park by Steve Zocek (EFCHS article)

1066 And All That (Part One) by John McFarlane [Senior] (ToffeeWeb article)

1066 And All That (Part Two) by John McFarlane [Senior] (ToffeeWeb article)

Viewing

The five games played at Goodison Park, World Cup 1966;

Brazil v Bulgaria (2-0)

Brazil v Hungary (1-3)

Brazil v Portugal (1-3)

Portugal v North Korea (Quater-Final) (5-3)

West Germany v U.S.S.R. (Semi-Final) (2-1) (short Pathe News summary)

Goodison World Cup Artefacts – on show in Qatar During the World Cup 2022 in the Arab Postal Stamps Museum

Many thanks to @Alanjbu (his twitter handle) who kindly sent us these photograph while out in Qatar for the World Cup!

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England Internationals at Goodison

Also mentioned in the podcast;

Northern Ireland v England (British Home Championship May 1973)

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Goodison World Cup Gallery

The 2002 documentary – The Game of their Lives – is about the North Korea team and the 1966 World Cup, plus the story of what became of the players (this short five-minute trailer includes unmistakeable footage of Goodison).

During the making of the film, the producers secured permission for some of the surviving players to revisit the UK and the venues where they played in 1966. In the group stage they were based at Ayresome Park, Middlesborough, where they were given a very warm reception on their return in 2002.

The players also visited Goodison, although their trip was somewhat overshadowed by a wonder goal scored in the match they attended – it was the Everton v Arsenal game on 19 October 2002, when a sixteen-year old Wayne Rooney ended Arsenal’s 30 game unbeaten run, curling a sensational strike in off the crossbar, past England number one David Seaman.  (However, this author did get the chance to meet the North Korean players, including Pak Doo Ik, while walking down Goodison Road after the game!).

Return of the 1966 Portugal stars to Goodison Park 2016, Fifty Years On.